I think too big of an emphasis is put on shot blocking, I'd rather have a player who can defend a smaller player late in the shot clock as a result of a switch than a shot blocker......now if said player can do both, like Big Ben Wallace used to do.......AWESOME!

I think too big of an emphasis is put on shot blocking, I'd rather have a player who can defend a smaller player late in the shot clock as a result of a switch than a shot blocker......now if said player can do both, like Big Ben Wallace used to do.......AWESOME!

Overvaluing Shot blockers
Two of the reoccurring themes in every draft are the sense that every poor defensive team needs a shot blocker or “rim protector” to fix their problems, and the parallel narrative in which every high volume shot blocker coming out of the NCAA or elsewhere gets tagged as being someone who can help a team defensively right away. In looking at points in the paint and free throws made data going back to 2004-05 and draft prospects going back to the first year of the one-and-done rule in 2006, the results have not met expectations.
The first point about bad defensive teams needing a shot blocker is not completely without any basis. Dwight Howard impacts games and alters the behavior of opposing players more than anyone in the NBA. Kevin Garnett helped transform the Celtics into a defensive juggernaut when dealt there in 2007. Before them, players like Ben Wallace, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon controlled the paint in dominating fashion. All of them won Defensive Player of the Year awards as a reward for their work. Where the problem lies is that while many teams and players try to imitate and replicate that model, the blocked shot numbers can be replicated but not the total defensive impact led by but not wholly encapsulated within a single player.

Perhaps he was talking about...you never know. In this years playoffs, Miami came through with it's number one shot blocker (or just keeping things alive) at the most critical times. We are of course talking about Wade...and his very short 6-4 stature.

There's gonna be some trading going down.
I just read on the internets that Minnesota traded their #18 pick to the Rockets for Chase Budinger and the rights to some foreign dude. Houston is said to be stocking up on assets in an attempt to get Dwight Howard. One rumored way that they plan on doing this is to trade #14, #16 and Kyle Lowry to Sac for Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick. The plan is to turn around and send Evans, #5, #18 and Kevin Martin to Orlando for D-Ho.

I don't really see an angle here for the Pistons to get involved in this deal but I wouldn't mind seeing Joe look at moving the #9 pick to acquire 2 assets (a pick and a player, 2 picks, 2 players). I'm just not stoked on ANY of the guys that have been talked about as potential Pistons @ #9.

...another rumor:
Cleveland trading #4 & another pick to the Bobcraps for #2. I guess the Cavs want Beal and Washington is rumored to be picking that dude at #3. Charlotte doesn't know who to pick at #2 so they might be thinking just punt the pick and snag a dude at #4 along with another dude with Clevelands #24 pick.

There's gonna be some trading going down.
I just read on the internets that Minnesota traded their #18 pick to the Rockets for Chase Budinger and the rights to some foreign dude. Houston is said to be stocking up on assets in an attempt to get Dwight Howard. One rumored way that they plan on doing this is to trade #14, #16 and Kyle Lowry to Sac for Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick. The plan is to turn around and send Evans, #5, #18 and Kevin Martin to Orlando for D-Ho.

I don't really see an angle here for the Pistons to get involved in this deal but I wouldn't mind seeing Joe look at moving the #9 pick to acquire 2 assets (a pick and a player, 2 picks, 2 players). I'm just not stoked on ANY of the guys that have been talked about as potential Pistons @ #9.

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Wouldn't it be nice to read that Joe had some sort of thought or plan as the draft approaches? Unfortunately we haven't read about Joe having a plan in place since he signed Gordon and CCG.

Cool research. This is real evidence of just how bad Dumars is doing at his job. If you were a good team and you were on this list, that is a different story. How can you go 3 full years without making a trade? Wakey, wakey....

Wouldn't it be nice to read that Joe had some sort of thought or plan as the draft approaches? Unfortunately we haven't read about Joe having a plan in place since he signed Gordon and CCG.

Click to expand...

I know what you mean man.
I read these rumors and can only live vicariously through these other teams that are actually trying to do something.
Joe has assembled more bad contracts than Fannie Mae, and that makes it next to impossible to have any sort of significant roster movement. This pretty much stamps-out any hope of shuffling the deck in hopes of fast-tracking a rebuild.

I'm underwelmed by the prospective players that are being looked at at #9. When I look at mock drafts and see Boston drafting TWO of the guys in the 20s that we have at one time conserdered at #9, I get discouraged. I hope that Joe has the sense to either trade down to snag an extra pick or at the very least, select the best player available IRREGARDLESS of position. If Doc Rivers' son is a lock to be a future all-star, I'd rather have him than some guy who is destined to be the next Joe Przybilla or DerMarr Johnson just because we need a big guy to stick next to Greg Monroe. The Pistons are desperate for assets more than players.

When I see a team like Houston making these moves, it pisses me off. I don't think it will happen but they could actually pull off a series of moves that result in Dwight Howard and Deron Williams being in Rockets gear. Just the fact that they could conceivably do this makes me envious. Houston isn't South Beach or Hollywood. I go there all the time for work and no offense to Houstonians, it's a crappy town. They only attractive aspect for Houston that an NBA player might look at is the fact that Texas doesn't have state income taxes. Other than that? Detroit is just as attractive.

The Pistons are in absolutely no position to make changes to the roster and bring some new energy and excitement to the Palace. We are stuck with adding a late lottery pick to the existing group each of the next few years until some of Joe's past mistakes come off of the books. Then and only then can we as Pistons fans experience the type of "hope" that Rockets fans have today.

The Pistons absolutely owe it to us fans to not only use the amnesty clause but buy-out one or two more players as well (even at the expense of going way over the cap). The sooner we clean house, the sooner we can log on to the HoopsHype rumor page and hope to read encouraging speculation on what our favorite team might do.
...and the sooner Joe can form a plan and begin to execute it.